5 Steps to Better Guitar Playing

There are lots of guitar players in the world, but becoming a great guitar player? That's a challenge. Dedication, hard work, and determination can make you a fantastic guitar player, and with a few good habits, you'll be solid as a rock when it comes to technique and performance. Here are five steps to better guitar playing.

Practice Daily

No matter what instrument you play, daily practice can't be overestimated. Whether you practice for half an hour or a full afternoon, practice scales, songs, and techniques on the daily. Don't feel like you have to practice for hours on end to become a good guitar player; focus on doing what you can with the time and energy you have.

Play Along

Whether you play along to your favorite pop tunes or some symphonic metal, spend some time now and again playing along with music that you already know and love. This is a great way to develop versatility in technique, so experiment with playing along with as many genres as you can, from jazz and folk to rock and metal.

Record Yourself

Recording yourself is a great way to hear how you're developing. Record a couple of sessions a week and regularly listen to the playback – it will help you to hear where you're doing better, and to identify which areas need improvement. Over time, if you're practicing regularly, you'll hear a big difference.

Take Lessons 

If you're serious about being a pro musician, lessons are an absolute must. In addition to an instructor helping you to develop solid and versatile technique, but can help you adapt those techniques to your unique style – as well as help you develop methods to work around any limitations you might have. 

Focus Up

If you're limited in how many hours you can practice per week, utilize your recordings to figure out where you need the most work – scale fingering, strumming technique, and the like. Spend most of your practice time working on the areas that need the most work until they're solid, and then just continue to cycle through what needs more of your attention. 

Good guitar players are important parts of any decent band, and these tips will help you diversify and solidify your technique – so you can riff your way to greater professional success.